twice-cooked french fries with sriracha mayonnaise

I seldom make french fries at home, and when I do, I usually purchase the frozen kind and bake them in the oven. This time around, I decided to make them myself as the accompaniment to the lamb sliders I shared with you a few days ago. Making the perfect fries, golden brown potatoes with a soft and creamy inside and crunchy exterior, takes a bit of time and effort. It involves cutting the potatoes uniformly into the desired shape, soaking the cut potatoes in water and then frying them twice, first at a low temperature to cook them through and then at a higher temperature just before service to brown and crisp them.

Idaho or russet potatoes work best since they are starchy, and thus, have less water content. Older potatoes work better, as well, because they also contain less moisture. Soaking the cut potatoes in cold water for a few hours or overnight removes as much excess starch as possible and reduces the chance of the potatoes sticking together. It also results in crispier fries.

These french fries were really good and had a great texture. I just seasoned them with salt and served them with a dipping sauce of mayonnaise mixed with Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce.

I followed a recipe from Bobby Flay, and since I followed it exactly as written, I won’t be reprinting it here. Here is the link for the original recipe that is found on the Serious Eats website.

An elegant reminder that general commentaries about fries and burgers miss the mark. Home-made with attention to process and quality, they are worthy of a feast and a gift to feed the body and the senses. You turn fries and burgers into something to experience fully. I dare anyone to not want to pause between each bite.